


The Summer Solstice

by snidgetsafan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 09:24:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13901058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snidgetsafan/pseuds/snidgetsafan
Summary: After everyone has settled into their happy beginnings, Mary Margaret decides to rekindle the traditions of the Summer Solstice in Storybrooke. Despite her earlier reservations, Emma is surprised to find it's not that bad (but don't tell her mother)And of course, her husband sees this as an opportunity to woo her. What kind of wife would she be if she denied him this pleasure?





	The Summer Solstice

 

   It all started one week before Valentine’s Day. During their weekly Sunday Dinner at her parents’. Their discussion of the meaning of Valentine’s Day over the pot roast evolved into a comparison of the holidays in the Land Without Magic and the Enchanted Forest while they ate their slices of pie. Emma listened curiously, taking advantage of this glimpse into more pleasant aspects of the realm of her birth.

 

   “And of course, one of the highlights of the year in my village was the Summer Solstice,” said David, his gaze lost in reminiscence.

   “The bonfires,” remembered Mary Margaret.

   “The free feast lasting all day,” added Killian.

   “But it was nothing without the hunt for the _Ludus_ flower,” interjected David, as if he were saying something obvious. It seemed to Emma as if only her mom understood the reference. She locked eyes with Killian, who seemed as puzzled as her.

   “The _Ludus_ flower? What are you talking about, mate? You don’t pick flowers for the Summer Solstice.”

   “Of course you do! How could you find your sweetheart without looking for the _Ludus_ flower?”

   “Yes, David, how could you find them?” asked Mary Margaret, a sugary sweet smile on her face. While watching her father get out of memory lane and right into a tight spot, Emma decided to intervene.

   “I don’t understand, what is this Lupus flower, and what has it got to do with the Summer Solstice, and finding a _sweetheart_?”

   “It’s not Lupus, but _Ludus_ , Emma,” corrected her mother. “And it used to be a big tradition in some parts of the Enchanted Forest: after night had fallen on the Summer Solstice, all the young girls and young men who were single went into the forest looking for the _Ludus_ flower. There, if they found it, they shared it with a member of the opposite sex, who became their sweetheart for the duration of the Solstice.”

   “So, like a Valentine?” Emma wanted to clarify.

   “You could say that, although finding a sweetheart was only ever for the duration of the Solstice. After, if a maiden wanted her young man to continue wooing her, she gave him some flowers from her flower crown, as a symbol of her interest.”

   “This seems mightily complicated, milady. All this ritual of having to find a certain flower, then having to traipse through the forest in the night in search of one specific person… We didn’t have to do that when I was a lad, you just went to the lass you wanted to court and asked her to dance with you at the bonfires.” Killian furrowed his brow, and added, “Also, I’ve never heard of the _Ludus_ flower.”

   Mary Margaret and David exchanged a mischievous look, and David turned towards his daughter and his son-in-law, “Well, that’s because you’ve never looked for it, haven’t you?”

 

   And that had been that for the evening. The conversation had turned towards other holidays, and Emma had pushed this conversation to the back of her mind the next day.

   That is until three weeks later, when Snow had come unannounced to their house on a Saturday morning, knocking on the door and interrupting Killian and Emma’s breakfast. Killian went to open the door, while Emma tidied up in the kitchen. As her mother walked into the kitchen, a heavy yellow binder in her arms and an excited smile on her face, Emma got a sense of déjà-vu.

   “Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but it’s important.”

   “You were not interrupting, Mom”, answered Emma, ignoring Killian’s expression in the background. “What can I help you with?”

   “I’ve been thinking, since our conversation a few weeks ago, about the Summer Solstice. It used to be such a big celebration back home, why don’t we organize it here, in Storybrooke?” said Mary Margaret, putting her binder on the table, and looking expectantly at her daughter and her husband.

   “I - don’t know Mom, I don’t know anything about the festival, even less about how to organize it-”

   “Oh but that’s alright! I already did a little research, and prepared a to-do list for you and Killian, and -”

   “Whoa, Mom, wait a minute,” interrupted Emma, glancing at Killian, who raised an eyebrow at her. “We haven’t even agreed to help, this isn’t something that can be decided on the spot like this.”

   “You must also remember, Milady, that, as the law enforcement of this town, we have our own responsibilities towards the community,” added Killian, coming to stand next to his wife.

   Mary Margaret looked crushed by their lack of enthusiasm, and kept switching her gaze from one to the other. Emma started to feel a little sorry for her, but she didn’t waver in her decision. Her mother needed to learn she could not make decisions for them without asking first.

   Then she gave the fatal blow, looking down at her binder. “I’m sorry, I thought this was something we could do as a family, a project where no one’s life is at stake, for once. Oh well, Henry will be so disappointed,” she sighed.

   Emma stiffened. _Oh no, she didn’t._ “Henry? What has Henry got to do with this?” It was her son’s week at Regina’s, she had seen him the previous evening for dinner at Granny’s, and he hadn’t mentioned anything about a festival.

   “Well, before doing anything, I had to get the Mayor’s agreement, so I went to see Regina yesterday, and Henry overheard our conversation. He seemed pretty excited to learn more about the customs of what should have been his home. Well, if you two do not want to get involved, I guess he’ll have to make do with reading about it. But it would have been so much better for him to experience it first hand,” she finished, still looking down and shrugging her shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant.

   While she had been speaking, Emma and Killian had locked eyes, which were growing in size by the second as they realized they had been played. Until suddenly, Killian had frowned, and looked back at his mother-in-law.

   “Wait, I don’t understand why the fact we don’t help you organize the Solstice has to mean it should be canceled. I’m sure if you ask around, many citizens will wish to help you.”

   “But it’s as you said, Killian. You _are_ the law enforcement. And on a project of such a scale, what can we do if we do not have the support of the Sheriff’s Station?” Snow’s eyes were too wide to be earnest innocence, but she had a point. When husband and wife looked at each other again, they knew they had been defeated. Scratching behind his ear then rubbing his mouth with his hand, Killian said “Well, I’ll make some more coffee, shall I?”

 

   On the day of the festival, Emma walked through the park just before sunset, checking everything was in place, as she reflected on the past three months. Her mother’s assumption that this project would be trouble-free had been a little hasty. While almost the whole town had loved the idea when it had been presented at a town hall meeting in March, squabbles had erupted here and there over various details. The most spectacular had been between Granny and Tony over who would be the official provider for the feast. The two restaurant owners had gotten pretty intense over it, making Emma glad Granny’s crossbow wasn’t anywhere near. Surprisingly, it had been Leroy who came up with the solution of organizing a potluck, thus preventing a feud between the two main food providers of the town.

   Belle had fully embraced the project, and had scoured her library for all the information she could find on the history and traditions of the festival, teaming up with Killian and Snow to ensure that the festivities included all the communities present in Storybrooke. They had managed to synthesize all the traditions into one global event, that lasted from sunrise to sunrise. Thankfully, this year the Solstice had fallen on a Saturday, so almost everyone could attend without work or school getting in the way.

   When he was not doing research in the library or accomplishing his deputy duties, Killian was also part of the committee auditioning and selecting the musicians who would play during the festival. Music and dancing were apparently a big part of the celebrations, so they needed to find bands or musicians to play around the bonfires. Henry and Regina were also part of this committee, and they had spent a few Sunday meals recounting the most disastrous auditions, the most trying being the one of a blonde former bard who refused to leave the room until he had played and sung his retelling of Hercules’ tasks - all twelve of them. The jury had valiantly gritted their teeth through his performance, but Regina had snapped when he had started screeching about Midas’ stables while plucking the cords of his out of tune lyre, and she had had to threaten him with a fireball for him to finally leave the stage, in a huff. Henry had told Emma while they were going home that apparently, the bard’s decision to rhyme “Hercules” with “feces” had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

   Snow had done an incredible job at the school, transforming the festival into a learning opportunity for all classes. She and her colleagues had organized school trips to her and David’s farm so the youngest pupils could learn more about farming, and she had teamed up with Belle to share all the legends and stories surrounding the festival with children and adults alike. They had enjoyed this project so much they were thinking about proposing an elective the next year on the history and lore of the Enchanted Forest. The children had also occupied their end of the school year by crafting paper and papier mâché décorations for Main Street, which was now cheerfully bedecked in yellow, green and blue.

   Emma was also quite proud of her role, even if it was not the most glamorous, or the most obvious. She had been tasked with the more practical aspects of the organization, namely coordinating with the town’s fire department and the town hall. She had been surprised to enjoy working with the Storybrooke firemen so much. Their Captain, Elliott Fafner, while a little clumsy at times, was a kind and competent man, who had helped her determine where to organize the bonfires, and had proposed the help of his team to help relieve Emma and Killian’s patrols after sunset.

   David, between taking care of Neal and his farm, had temporarily resumed his role as Deputy in order to help her with the paperwork while Killian was otherwise occupied. She had enjoyed these moments with her father, as they rarely had the chance to spend time alone together since they had moved to the farm. Filing sessions had turned into long conversations between the two of them, and Emma was quite sorry to see these opportunities end.

 

   The morning had been busy with mothers and daughters working on the girls’ flower crowns, either by picking wildflowers in the woods, or going to Games of Thorns to pick flowers or pre-woven crowns. As the day wore on, more and more girls and young women paraded in the streets, wearing colorful crowns and showing them off to friends and potential sweethearts alike.

   Main Street had been closed off to traffic, and tables had been set up in the middle of the road. Almost the whole town had turned up at one point or another, Mary Margaret and David flitting from group to group, like the benevolent rulers they used to be.

   Killian and Emma had been able to sit down for a while with their family and friends, and she had to admit, it had been nice to share this moment with the townspeople. Everywhere she turned, people were talking, laughing and sharing stories of Summer Solstices past.

   But now it was the main event: when the sun set down, the hunt for the _Ludus_ flower would begin, with the girls heading in the woods first, followed by the boys ten minutes later. The adults would gather around the several bonfires which would also be lit at sun down, and the revelries would begin. Killian and Emma would alternate patrolling to ensure no unapproved bonfire was lit anywhere in the city, and would keep contact with the firefighters monitoring the bonfires in the park, the woods and on the beach. The festivities would go on until sunrise, but Emma and Killian would retire to their home at midnight, remaining on call in case David needed reinforcement. She couldn’t wait to be alone with her pirate, they had barely seen each other all day, and they had been kept so busy all week that the only moments they had shared were their bedtime, where they were too tired to do anymore than fall asleep in each other’s arms.

 

   Emma parked her Bug right behind Killian’s police cruiser, killing the engine and sinking back into the seat, sighing in exhaustion. This had been a long day, following a long week. She couldn’t wait to snuggle in bed next to Killian and be lulled to sleep by his heartbeat.

   As she got out of the car, she couldn’t help but notice no light was switched on in the house. Was Killian already in bed? This was unlike him, he usually waited for her on nights she finished later than him. Then she saw that a soft light was coming from the living room’s window. Had he lit a fire in the chimney,despite the heat? Intrigued, Emma headed up the steps, and opened the door.

   “Killian?” she called out, softly closing the door behind her. “Where are you?” She got no answer, but, as she stepped into the living room, she noticed the door to the porch was opened, and more soft light was spilling in from outside. Curious, Emma went to the door. A line of small candles lined the banister, leading towards the back of the house. What was her pirate up to? She followed the trail he had left for her, and as she rounded the corner, she gasped as she saw dozens of candles of all sizes illuminating the backyard, with Killian standing in the middle of the circle of light, looking at her expectantly with his arm behind his back.

   Slowly going down the steps towards him, she looked him over, noticing he had taken off his jacket and vest, and stood in his shirt sleeves. Looking at her from under his lashes, he gestured towards the sea of candles. “Do you like it, Swan?”

   “It’s beautiful. But… how? And why?” Tearing her gaze from him with difficulty, she gazed around the garden again. How had he found the time to prepare all this? He had been either with her or working all day long.

   “Dave and the lad gave me a hand in setting everything up. And why? This is your first Summer Solstice, love,  I wanted you to remember it.”

   Emma felt her heart swell. Her husband had managed to surprise her, and had involved her father and her son. Stepping closer to him, she put her hand on his chest, stroking the material of his shirt and gazing into his eyes.

   “This is perfect, thank you.”

   Killian laughed softly, leaning into her. “This is hardly all of it. According to my research, a good Summer Solstice needs a bonfire, music and dancing. Since I couldn’t light a bonfire in the garden, for fear of Fafner ruining the moment, I decided, candles it is.” As he took his arm from behind his back, Emma saw a small, simple crown of forget-me-nots gently swaying on his hook. “And apparently, flower crowns are a must for fair maidens in search of their sweethearts.” he finished, wagging his eyebrows.

   Emma laughed, marveling at how much of a dork her husband was. “I’m hardly a maiden, as you can personally attest,” she said, raising her eyebrows and making him snort.

   “As true as that may be, humor me, my love?”

   “As you wish.”

   Killian placed the crown delicately on her head, making sure it was secure, before stroking her hair and placing his hand and hook on her hips, softly kissing her cheek. Taking his hand from her hip, he rummaged in his pocket, and took out his phone, tapping until the first strings of one of their favorite songs played. Holding his hook to her, he bowed, never taking his eyes off her face. “May I have this dance, Swan?”

   Smiling so hard her cheeks hurt, Emma took his hand wordlessly, and let him pull her in the circle of his arms. As they began to sway, she reflected on her day. While it had been arduous and sometimes frustrating work, the festival had gone without a hitch, and there was already talk of doing it again the following year. The search for the _Ludus_ flower had been particularly entertaining, parents and friends speculating on who would exit the woods with whom. While some of the results had been obvious, it had been jarring for Emma to see Henry emerge from the woods with one of his friends from school, and join a group of teenagers by the bonfire. While she knew her son was growing up, and was far from the little boy who had knocked on her door all those years ago, it was still bittersweet to be reminded that he didn’t need her as much as he used to.

   Killian twirling her away from him and back startled her from her thoughts. She raised her eyes to his and got lost in his gaze, the same color as her flower crown, until the end of the song. As the music came to an end, so did their dance. Reluctant to leave her husband’s embrace, Emma did not move away. Killian tilted his head, his smile seemingly permanently etched onto his face, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Stroking her jaw with his thumb, he slowly leaned down until their lips met in a gentle kiss full of affection.

   When they separated, Emma fluttered her eyes open, not remembering closing them. She leaned her forehead against his, stroking the hair at the back of his neck.

   “Thank you,” she said. “Although you did not have to go to this much effort to woo me. You know you won my heart a long time ago.”

   Killian chuckled. “Can you blame a man for trying to keep the flame alive in his marriage?”

   Emma laughed. “You’re right, you won’t always be able to rely on your dashing good looks, better to start preparing for the future.”

   “Oi! After all the trouble I’ve gone through, this is how you thank me?” Killian said, faking outrage. “And I’ll have you know, whatever my age, I will _always_ be dashing.”

   Emma didn’t say anything, preferring to look at him mischievously. While she privately agreed with him, she didn’t want to stroke his ego. He knew he was gorgeous, and she couldn’t wait to see how he would age. She’d bet anything he would be the hottest silver fox in town.

   The need to yawn broke through her musings. Her husband’s face softened, and he stroked her cheek. “Go to bed, love, I’ll put everything to rights here and join you soon.”

   Not wanting to be separated from him, and to break this moment, Emma put out all the candles with a wave of her hand. She took Killian’s hand and started to pull him towards the house. “Done. Come on, let’s go to sleep.”

 

   Emma did get her earlier wish of cuddling with her pirate, listening to his slowing heartbeat before succumbing to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she took the flower crown Killian had given her and took it down to the living room, where she pressed it between the pages of an atlas. In the following years, her collection would grow to include all kinds of crowns, from the simplest to the most elaborate. However, her favorite always remained the first one, which never failed to remind her of a slow dance in a sea of candlelight, and of the color of Killian’s eyes as he smiled down at her.

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wondered how Storybrooke managed to adapt Enchanted Forest traditions into the Land Without Magic. This is my take.  
> I took inspiration for the Summer Solstice from different European traditions, and "Ludus" is a fun and non-committed form of love in Greek.


End file.
